DISCLAIMER: :^)
SONG OF THE WEST
an Inuyasha fanfic
xxvii.
"Teiji said, for certain, that the tunnel was in the shrine?" Shizu asked, panting.
Rin caught her breath before responding. "He said, 'Get inside.' He didn't say which building."
Shizu allowed a string of words that should not have been uttered on such sacred ground to escape her mouth.
Not that her words could hurt the shrine any more than Shizu and Rin's urgency had. After ascending the dozens of stone steps winding up the hill to Shiraoi's shrine, the two women had made quick work of scouring the grounds—in particular the honden, haiden, and shamusho—to find this mysterious tunnel Teiji mentioned before parting with them, to no avail.
Shiraoi's shrine was vast and cluttered. Its three main buildings were spread rather far apart on the hilltop, forcing Rin and Shizu to split up to hasten their search. The shamusho held dozens of scrolls and objects for ceremonial use, along with other items like low tables and art that had to be moved whenever they were in a spot a tunnel might be hidden. The haiden, meanwhile, contained nothing but wide-open space and statues against the walls, leaving very little hiding places. The honden had been its own beast: there were dozens of memorial tablets for every dead member of Shiraoi's ruling family, each slightly heavier than the last, all of which had to be moved. Rin could only hope disturbing these monuments to the departed would have no ramifications on her life after death.
Soon, the two women were forced to reconvene outside to go over their next steps. Everything that could be moved had been turned over not once, but twice, until they had combed through each building. Both women knew they were running out of time—Teiji had not rejoined them, which meant the men he was holding off could not be too far behind.
Rin inhaled and closed her eyes to concentrate as Shizu continued to utter more expletives. Lord Sesshōmaru had mentioned the shrine before his departure but had not mentioned the existence or whereabouts of a tunnel, most likely out of extreme caution, since servants of unknown allegiances were around them at the time Still, with how meticulous Rin knew he was, the young Lord would've left some type of identifiable hint to help her escape if there was no one to point out the tunnel's location.
All she had to do was find that hint.
"Try checking the shamusho again," Rin said. "I'll check the honden!"
Shizu nodded and turned toward the small wooden building off to the side of the shrine's grounds.
With renewed resolve, Rin walked towards the large main building of the shrine. As she had established earlier, the tunnel could not be in the haiden, as it was much too empty.
Thus, it had to be in the honden.
Rin ran across the hard wooden floor of the haiden and into the honden, which was still as disheveled as she had left it, and looked around the room. She had not been inside a shrine since she was very young, which made it difficult to determine which items were out of place. The memorial tablets had been arranged normally—at least until she had moved them all. The rugs also hid no secrets, as she had overturned them previously to check for any secret doors. There was the altar, of course, but that was impossible to move…
Rin noticed it then. On the side of the altar hung two scented pouches. The first was red and gold and black, like the colors of Shiraoi's shrine. It gave off the smell of aloeswood. The second pouch did as well, but instead of matching the first one, the second was magenta with gold trim.
She had bought Sesshōmaru that pouch at the festival. And he had been to the shrine with Tsukuyomaru before his departure.
The tunnel was under the altar, then. It had to be.
After plucking Sesshōmaru's scented pouch from the side of the altar, Rin planted her feet firmly on the ground and pressed all her body weight against the sacred woody piece of furniture. Despite her best efforts, it refused to budge.
"Shizu!" Rin yelled, her voice echoing through the building and hopefully to where Shizu could hear it. Rin continued to push herself until she heard Shizu's rapid footsteps.
"You found it?" Shizu asked breathlessly.
"Help me push this!" Rin answered.
Shizu obeyed. With Rin pushing it alone, the altar had been impossible to move; with their united strength, it was still incredibly difficult. Even so, the two women were able to move the massive box centimeter by centimeter, until the ground gave way to a rectangular crevice just large enough for them to slip their bodies through.
"How the hell did this even get here?" Shizu asked no one in particular.
The tunnel, with its dirt floors and walls, seemed to be an endless hole. The utter absence of light made it impossible to tell how far it descended into the earth. There was a ladder on the side to climb down, but that did not make the secret passage look any less daunting.
Shizu darted back into the haiden. After a few minutes of the sound of objects rustling in the other room, the older woman returned with a lantern. A flame danced around in the wooden encasement.
"We'll need this, then," Shizu said.
She descended the ladder first. The lantern was dramatically effective, casting a flickering light all about the tunnel. The women could now see that the tunnel wasn't deep, and was long and narrow rather than being some vast chasm.
Rin climbed down next. When she was at the bottom of the ladder, she looked back up to where the light from the surface still shone proudly.
Shizu tugged on her sleeve. "Come on. There's no way we can move that thing back."
Rin gave a wordless nod of agreement, and together the women descended further into the dusty underpass. It had been out of use for some time now: tree roots had ruptured certain areas of the walls, forcing the women to duck or climb over them to continue their journey.
After a few more minutes of endless roots, steadily sloping floors, and all manner of insects, the light of Shizu's lantern finally fell upon another ladder at the end of the cavern. Rin climbed the ladder first to use both free hands to push the exit open.
It, much like the altar, would not budge, even with Rin using all her strength.
Shizu was growing anxious. "You've got to be kidding."
Rin pushed once more. This time, it gave way, allowing sunlight to fill the space and pieces of hay to fall into the tunnel and onto Rin's head.
Directly above her now was the face of a man. Her blood ran cold at his sudden appearance.
"Do you have the Imperial Lady's letter?" the man asked.
This was the man Teiji said would be there, Rin deduced. After the man cleared the silage out of the way of the exit, Rin quickly ascended the ladder and allowed him to assist her. Just as Teiji had said, the tunnel had led them to the stables.
The man was older, with deep brown eyes and a neatly groomed mustache and beard. He was short but strong, presumably from dealing with horses each day.
"Here's the letter!" Rin reached into the front of her kosode to grab Tōran's letter, as well as the weighty item the Lady had given her before their departure. The man's eyes widened at the presence of the additional object.
"Where's Teiji?" the man asked, turning to help Shizu out of the tunnel.
"We don't know," Shizu said. "He stayed behind."
The man cursed at this and turned to Rin again. "Your horse has been prepared. We leave immediately."
Rin moved to examine her surroundings. Indeed, Hikari was standing free of her stall, bridled and saddled with her healthy golden coat glimmering in the sunlight. Two other horses had been prepared as well, one black and the other of a chestnut hue.
"Hikari!" Rin exclaimed.
Hikari let out a happy-ish whinny in response. The hay crunched beneath Rin's geta as made her way over to her horse. A thrill shot through her as she mounted, and despite the horrific ongoing situation, Rin was excited to ride again after so many days of being stationary.
She was in front of the stable doors now. From her viewpoint, she could see a smaller version of the castle's gates, presumably an alternate exit. Outside was eerily calm.
"It smells awful in here," Shizu said to the man. "Where are you taking us?"
"There's a shrine not too far from here," the man said, the sunlight from the open door bathing his face as he approached the horses. "You two can stay there until—"
Somewhere, a bowstring tightened and loosened again with a low hum. A dash of wind caressed Rin's face as gently as a summer breeze, and soon the man assigned to lead them to safety was lying on the hay-covered dirt floor with an arrow shaft jutting from his neck.
Rin might have screamed if given the chance. But when she looked towards the door again, she saw the bowman and found herself in the sights of another nocked arrow.
"Dismount," the bowman commanded.
Without moving her head, Rin's eyes darted about the room. Shizu was suddenly nowhere to be found.
"Hey!" the bowman called out. "Now."
Slowly, Rin dismounted Hikari. When her feet were firmly on the ground, the bowman stepped forward.
"Against the wall," he ordered. The metal tip of his arrowhead, still pointed at her, glinted in the sunlight.
For now, there was not much Rin could do but silently comply. A few steps backward, and her back was against the wall, as the bowman wanted.
"Where's the other girl?" he asked.
"What other girl?" Rin said feignedly.
The bowman scowled. "Don't play coy. I know there's two of you."
Rin blinked with such convincing vapidness that he seemed swayed for a moment.
"Shinji! Jiro!" the bowman yelled. "They're in—"
The clatter of a wooden box breaking against the ground quieted him. The flame from the now-broken lantern took hold of the pasturage surrounding the bowman's feet, before moving to his shoes and his kimono. He screamed as it took hold of his body; his bow and arrow dropped to the floor.
Now that she was safely out of the man's crosshairs, Rin rushed back to Hikari, who had been startled by the fire.
Shizu jumped from her hiding spot in a nearby stall. "We need to leave, now," she yelled, her voice almost drowned out by the bowman's concurrent shrieks.
Fighting to ignore the pungent smell of human flesh burning, Rin glanced over to the bearded man on the floor nearby and felt a pang of sadness in her heart. Then she remembered.
Tōran's message…
The fire would worsen soon. Without another word, Rin rushed over to the man's body and knelt to retrieve the necessary items.
"Rin!" Shizu hissed.
"We have to deliver Lady Tōran's letter!" Rin exclaimed. The letter and weighted object were still intact in the man's kimono, though the letter had been marred with a bit of blood.
Shizu's brows furrowed. "To who?"
Rin frowned. No one ever mentioned who the letter was intended for. But…
"Either Lord Sesshōmaru or Lord Tsukuyomaru," Rin guessed, tucking the items into her sleeve and hurrying back to Hikari's side.
"Rin," Shizu started, incredulous, "they're probably closer to the capital than they are to us by now."
"They're moving a bunch of men and supplies. They can't be too far away," Rin said.
Lord Tōga had once told her that if one was to travel aimlessly southwest across their island country, they would eventually hit where the Western lands started at the Asano territory. The capitol was northwest of the Western lands, based on the conversations she had previously overheard when she was still traveling with him. And Shiraoi was practically in the center of the Northern lands.
The capital was directly west of Shiraoi, then. Traveling west would eventually make them run into the army, and into one of the three Lords traveling towards the capital.
Right?
Using the wooden railing of the horse stall next to her as a stool, Rin propelled herself upward and onto her horse. When the skirt of her kosode rode up, Hikari's coat was smooth against her legs. Rin wished she had the foresight to wear her nu-bakama.
Shizu coughed. The smoke was becoming unbearable, and they would have to leave before it drew attention.
"Do you know how to ride, Shizu?" Rin asked hurriedly.
"No," Shizu sighed, grabbing the reins of the other horse. "But I guess I'll have to learn."
Shizu mounted the black horse. Rin freed the chestnut horse before spurring Hikari to move, and soon the two women were riding away from the burning stables and into the forest.
Half of an hour or so into their journey westward, the fire at the stable reached its peak. Thick black smog rose above the forest canopy like thunderstorm clouds, swallowing the afternoon sun and signaling for miles that something was amiss at Shiraoi castle.
Rin and Shizu had since decreased the speed of their horses from a full gallop to a walk to avoid exhausting them. Rin didn't know when Hikari had last received water, but it would probably be best to stop for that soon as well, just in case. But who knew what dangers related to Shiraoi were lurking in the woods?
Rin sighed loudly. With the North's mountainous terrain and at the speed they were progressing, it would take more than a day to catch up with the army.
Her thoughts wandered back to Lady Tōran, who had imparted two valuable items to her before fearlessly telling them to escape without her. Rin had only known the Imperial Lady for a few days, but she did not want to let her down—or worse, cause her death.
Hikari's ears flickered. In the distance, the sound of horses and a multitude of hard boots connecting with the earth.
Shizu frowned. "Could that be Lord Tsukuyomaru's men?"
"Whoever it is, with all those men, they'll be using the main road." Rin smiled reassuringly and steered Hikari towards the trees. "We'll be fine as long as they don't see us."
Shizu was right. The vast number of soldiers marching through bore the banners and colors of Lord Taigokumaru. But they seemed to walk in the castle's direction rather than away from it, showing that they were not searching for them, at least.
There was one soldier who disrupted the uniformity of colors and banners amongst the group. He was wearing ō-yoroi similar to Lord Tōga's, except with brass lacquer in place of blue and red ties instead of white. The languidly confident way he rode his horse felt familiar to Rin, almost like…
Lord Sesshōmaru! It was Sesshōmaru in that armor; the soldiers were his and Lord Tsukuyomaru's, not Taigokumaru's.
Rin felt at her neck for her golden whistle and put it between her lips.
Shizu's eyes widened. "Wait—"
"It's Lord Sesshōmaru," Rin explained before blowing the whistle. The sound it made was high, clear, and loud, and enough to capture his attention.
Sesshōmaru turned to her, and their gazes met through the trees. He wore a helmet, and his menpō covered half of his face, but she knew his eyes. She'd always know his eyes.
He raised a fan-like object to signal to the rest of the unit. By the time the men's steady footfalls finally succumbed to the silence of the forest, Rin had already spurred Hikari to move and was by his side. As she reached into her kimono, Sesshōmaru removed his menpō to speak.
His voice was unexpectedly hard. "Why are you—"
Rin cut him off by shoving the letter into his hand. His gaze flickered from her face to the piece of parchment.
"It's from Lady Tōran," Rin said breathlessly.
A single horse was trotting towards them. Its rider was Lord Tsukuyomaru, who was donning perfectly black armor. He looked towards the trees where Shizu was still waiting on her horse, then back to Rin.
"Did you two travel all this way by yourselves?" Lord Tsukuyomaru said in disbelief.
Rin nodded.
Tsukuyomaru glanced at the letter Sesshōmaru was now reading. "That is from the Imperial Lady, then."
"It's time to leave," Sesshōmaru stated coolly, folding the letter again.
"Wait," Rin said, reaching into her kimono again. "She gave me this, too."
Rin opened her small fist to reveal the weighty stone object Tōran had given her. Sesshōmaru's brows furrowed.
"She gave you the Northern Imperial seal?" Tsukuyomaru asked.
Rin's eyes widened slightly. She had been so concerned with getting to safety that she hadn't even bothered to examine what Tōran had bequeathed to her. Sure enough, on the flat side of the object was a symbol she couldn't read, which she presumed to be the characters for the Katsushika clan.
If Tōran had given this to her, the situation must have been serious.
Sesshōmaru's large, gloved hand covered hers, closing her open palm back into a fist around the seal.
"Tsukuyomaru," Sesshōmaru called out, still gazing into Rin's eyes. "We're leaving."
Tsukuyomaru raised a fan-like object like the one Sesshōmaru used earlier. Slowly, the unit moved again.
"Wait!" Shizu called out, exasperated. "Where are we supposed to go now?"
"There is a shrine about four miles north of here," Tsukuyomaru responded. "You two will be safe there. I will send someone to retrieve you later."
Shizu let out a displeased sound.
Sesshōmaru released Rin's hand to put his menpō on once more.
"Be safe, Lord Sesshōmaru," Rin said softly.
Sesshōmaru let out a small sound of assent before leaving.
The two women started north, as suggested. Now that they had been relieved of the stress of carrying important information, the rest of their journey went smoothly. The sun was setting by the time they reached the woodland shrine, burnishing the sky a gentle goldish orange.
The shrine priestess was friendly and accepted them with open arms, supplying food and water and a private room for them to rest. All they had left to do now was wait for news of victory. So they waited and waited and waited until the crescent moon was high in the sky and Shizu retired for the night.
As she sat on the shrine's steps, Rin grew slightly anxious. How long did it take to quell a rebellion, anyhow? Shiraoi castle was rather spacious and well-fortified, she guessed, but if a place like Hyōkusui could fall in a few hours, Shiraoi certainly could as well. Was rebellion even the proper term to use for this?
Rin must have fallen asleep with such questions on her mind, for the next thing she could remember was the sound of wooden wheels and horseshoes clopping against the path to the shrine. It was still dark. Slightly startled, Rin looked up to see three men, two on horseback and one manning a small coach. It was still dark as pitch, and together the lanterns they held cast a warm, orange haze about the area.
"Miss Rin?" One horseman asked.
After the riveting day she had had, Rin was still slightly wary. She stood to prepare herself for any danger. "Who are you?"
"We've been sent to escort you and Miss Shizu back to the castle," the man said. "The siege has ended."
The plan, as discussed days prior away from the ears of Taigokumaru's spies, was rather simple: Sesshōmaru, Lord Tōga, and Lord Tsukuyomaru's units would leave for the capital, just as discussed in the study and just as the courtiers had likely informed Lord Taigokumaru. Once they left, Sesshōmaru and Tsukuyomaru would remain near Shiraoi with 200 men, while Tōga would continue towards the palace with the remaining 600, joining with the units from the Naozane and Takeda clans. If Lord Taigokumaru attempted anything in his son's absence, Sesshōmaru and Tsukuyomaru would be in the proper position to stop him. If he dared communicate with anyone outside the castle, scouts would be available to stop his couriers.
"You believe my father to be a traitor," Tsukuyomaru uttered, more of a statement than a question. He didn't seem too surprised to hear Sesshōmaru's suspicions.
Tōga nodded. "Though he claims to be ill, it is rather disconcerting that he has made no attempt to communicate with me or Imperial Lady Katsushika, given the apparent tension between you two."
"Tension which you should have informed us of much earlier," Sesshōmaru said roughly.
Surprisingly, Tsukuyomaru was able to withstand this sudden coldness. "I did not feel it relevant. I was hoping we would be able to put our differences aside with this war. But with his behavior as of late, I honestly have no evidence to prove that he will not betray us."
Tsukuyomaru paused for a moment before starting again. "When my father makes a decision, he acts on it rather hastily. He'll make his move soon if he's decided to curry favor with Imperial Lord Raikuji."
"Imperial Lady Katsushika won't be safe here, then—neither will Rin," Seiten pointed out. "Where will they go?"
"We will stay here, of course," Tōran, who sat at the low table with her head resting in her hand, spoke up.
Sesshōmaru and Tōga bristled at this.
"Absolutely not," Sesshōmaru said.
Tōran scoffed. "It's far too late to make arrangements for us now. Our sudden departure would create suspicion."
"I'd rather cause suspicion than have you or Rin dead," Tōga asserted.
"Lord Tsukuyomaru," Tōran started, glancing at the man in question. "How intelligent would you say your father is?"
Tsukuyomaru raised his brow. "He's shrewd enough, I suppose."
"Well, if he is half as shrewd as you claim, he would know that it is far more convenient for me to live than to die," Tōran said. "The absurd part of being a female heir is that whoever I marry enjoys a certain degree of legitimacy when it comes to matters of the North. It's easier to just pawn me off in marriage than it is to kill me and allow the North to rally around the next male heir."
Tōran was correct. In the event of her death, the title of Northern Imperial Lord would fall to Gorai Naegi, a rather boisterous man who would not go down with ease in the event of a threat to his power.
"Her Grace is right," Tsukuyomaru asserted. "My father will consider her of too much value to kill."
"I fail to see how this keeps Rin safe," Tōga said.
Sesshōmaru's brows furrowed. It was most likely clear by now that Rin was an out-of-place member of Lord Tōga's party. Just as with Lady Tōran, it would be more convenient for Rin to be alive.
"She won't die," Sesshōmaru mused aloud. "He'll take her hostage."
Tōga released a wry laugh. "As if that is much better."
"I can leave some of my men behind for better protection," Tsukuyomaru said. "If anything goes awry, there is a tunnel in our ancestral shrine that will allow them to escape safely."
Tōga glanced at him. "Does your father know of this tunnel?"
"No; only my mother's maiden family were aware of it."
The Lord of the West seemed only slightly relieved at this information.
"I'll also have to ask that Shizu, one of the servants, join you as well," Tsukuyomaru said to Tōran. "I believe she and Miss Rin are dear friends."
Tōran looked a bit surprised at this request but nodded.
"Since you'll be here, be sure to draft a decree allowing Lord Tsukuyomaru and Sesshōmaru to quell Lord Taigokumaru," Tōga said. "It's pedantic, but it ensures that no one can attempt to frame those two as usurpers later on."
Tōran nodded. "I'll have one of Tsukuyomaru's men deliver it. It'll serve as our signal."
And so, the plan went precisely as such, minus a few unexpected alterations: the blaze at Shiraoi's stables had been unaccounted for, spurring Tsukuyomaru to action sooner than Sesshōmaru had preferred; and, of course, Rin had been the one to deliver Tōran's message as opposed to one of Tsukuyomaru's men. While Sesshōmaru had found himself rather impressed by this, he was also slightly agitated at the idea of her being in harm's way.
The sun was setting when their men reached the castle, and the smog from the building's posterior was still dark—a sign that it was most likely still uncontrolled, and that there were an innumerable amount of men attempting to put it out before it spread. Men who wouldn't be prepared to defend the rest of the castle.
But Tsukuyomaru did not immediately act upon this apparent weakness, much to Sesshōmaru's displeasure. As the foot soldiers in the unit's front prepared to ram their way through the gates, Tsukuyomaru raised his gunbai for them to halt.
"This is absurd," Tsukuyomaru said.
Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed. "You are wasting time. Do you want to reclaim your castle or not?"
"I know these men," Tsukuyomaru countered firmly. "Give them a chance to stand down before it comes to a bloodbath."
Sesshōmaru rolled his eyes.
They sent the messenger with the loudest voice to the gates to give Taigokumaru's guards their options: either stand down and live; or fight, lose, and face punishment with their Lord.
Vastly outnumbered, the castle guards chose the wise route and opened the gates. Thus, with very little bloodshed on Sesshōmaru and Tsukuyomaru's part, Taigokumaru's revolt faltered as quickly as it began.
That did not mean the day passed with no casualties. In the castle's residential areas, the bodies of Taigokumaru's men and the men Tsukuyomaru left behind lined the once-pristine stone pathways and wooden engawa like scattered leaves in the fall.
Tōran was safe at least, evading capture through the use of the naginata Tsukuyomaru had found for her and the guards that had been assigned to her. They had successfully barricaded themselves in one of the guest rooms when Sesshōmaru, after cutting through the more stubborn remnants of Taigokumaru's men with a handful of his own, found her.
"Took you long enough," Tōran said when her guards slid open the shoji. Her hair was a bit tousled, but she was unharmed, just as she said she would be. "Did my seal make it to you?"
Sesshōmaru nodded. Tōran let out a relieved breath.
"Good. Better safe than sorry."
As far as Lord Taigokumaru, he remained hidden within his apartments, with his most loyal courtiers keeping him updated on the violence outside. After Taigokumaru's guards were dispatched, most of the courtiers submitted willingly, though others had to be dragged out by the collars of their outer robes.
Alone, the old man was no threat. While he may have been perfectly deft in his youth, all his strength had since given way to the natural shifts of time. Without his guards and his courtiers, Taigokumaru was only a weak old man with a head full of hot air.
To his credit, Taigokumaru still had quite the bark for a Lord who was slated to die. When asked by Tsukuyomaru the purpose of this revolt, Taigokumaru scoffed.
"The tides are changing," he said. "If you cannot see that, you are just as foolish and soft as I thought."
Taigokumaru was confined to his room shortly after, an arrangement Sesshōmaru found rather generous considering the magnitude of his crimes. He, Tōran, and Tsukuyomaru convened once again in the study—this time, that of Lord Taigokumaru's apartments—to discuss their plans for moving forward.
"Do you have any courtiers you trust here?" Tōran asked.
"All the courtiers I distrusted are now imprisoned," Tsukuyomaru asserted.
"Good. Select the most competent three to oversee this territory and the food rations in your stead."
Tsukuyomaru nodded.
"As for the other courtiers, they'll have to be dispatched, of course," Tōran said. "They're too dangerous to simply be exiled."
"I'll begin making arrangements in the morning," Tsukuyomaru stated.
"The courtiers die tonight," Sesshōmaru insisted. "Along with Lord Taigokumaru."
There was a beat of tense silence.
"Tonight," Tsukuyomaru repeated, incredulous.
Sesshōmaru stared at him. "There's a war to be fought. The unit must set out towards the capital tomorrow to re-join the rest of the army. There's no time left to waste."
"Cousin," Tōran called out. Sesshōmaru ignored her.
"It does not matter how you kill them. It merely needs to be quick," Sesshōmaru said. "If you are somehow still concerned about your father's honor, give him a blade and let him do it himself."
Tōran sighed loudly. Tsukuyomaru's brows furrowed.
Someone knocked on the door to the study.
"My Lord!" One of Shiraoi's guards called out. "The fire in the stables has been extinguished. And a coach has just arrived from Yokowara shrine."
Tsukuyomaru glanced at Sesshōmaru and Tōran before bowing. "Please excuse me. I must check on the damage."
"You may leave, Lord Tsukuyomaru," Tōran said.
When Tsukuyomaru left, Tōran turned to Sesshōmaru with a raised brow.
"How forbearing of you." Sarcasm dripped from her voice. "Are you the Northern Imperial Lady, or am I?"
Sesshōmaru huffed. "He knows as well as I do his father cannot live."
"He knows. That doesn't mean it hurts him any less. Would you be able to arrange your father's death so easily?"
The young Lord bristled. "I would have no need to. My father is not a traitor."
Tōran rolled her eyes.
"While you are still here," she said, "there is some news about our allies. The Higurashi clan will not be fighting with us."
Sesshōmaru's brows furrowed. "They have allied with Ryukotsusei?"
"Not by choice. As Hyōkusui was being raided, so was Itō, by coast and land," Tōran said. Then, suddenly, "Do you know of a Naraku?"
Sesshōmaru knew the names of each Lord in the land and their children—at least the legitimate ones.
"Is he important?" Sesshōmaru asked.
Tōran sighed. "He has made himself important. It looks like he is the one leading Ryūkotsusei's Northern front. Two of the Higurashi daughters have gone missing, and he is likely holding them hostage to keep Lord Higurashi compliant. Same with the Yanagisawa clan—Lady Sango has been missing for days, along with young Lord Kohaku."
Sesshōmaru frowned. That an absolute nobody took down two of the largest clans in the North was cause for great concern.
"Is there any other news?" Sesshōmaru asked.
Tōran hummed. "When Lord Tsukuyomaru goes North to meet the Hōjō clan tomorrow, I plan on joining him. I cannot sit idly by as the North continues to be chipped away."
Sesshōmaru hummed. "That is your decision."
"That's all?"
"You would go regardless of my opinion."
"You are right—I would," Tōran gave a small, satisfied smile. "Rin is back, correct? I suppose she got to the shrine safely."
"You suppose," Sesshōmaru said bitterly.
"What, she is not hurt, is she?"
"If I had known you would have her deliver your message and seal, she would not have stayed."
Tōran had the gall to seem surprised. "One of Tsukuyomaru's men was supposed to take it. Something must have happened to him, leading Rin to take it upon herself to fulfill the task. She expressed some interest in becoming a courier."
Sesshōmaru scoffed.
"Ask her," Tōran said. "That she could navigate to you without knowing your location shows she has the skill to do so."
"Rin is not going to war," Sesshōmaru asserted coolly.
"Are you her father too, now?" Tōran deadpanned.
Sesshōmaru stood and turned to leave.
"Oh, no—Sesshōmaru is upset. Whatever shall I do?" Tōran jested. "You are still in need of couriers. And it would be disgraceful to let such skill go to waste inside this castle. Ask her; we women are quite capable of making our own decisions."
Despite the absurdity of Tōran's suggestion, Sesshōmaru considered her idea as he walked past guards and servants and bloodstains and scattered weapons from the study to the guest apartments he knew Rin was still staying in. The bodies had been whisked away somewhere he did not know, and the sky was still pitch black, with only stars and lanterns illuminating the castle grounds. Rin was hopefully asleep by now, but after such an eventful day, he felt the desire to check on her.
It was so very like Rin to go off and take on a task far too dangerous for her upon sensing the urgency. She had done so before in that village to save her friends, and he had found her beaten and bloodied in the middle of the woods. But she had accomplished what she set out to do.
To ask Rin felt both logical and illogical. Even if she agreed, she could not join. Outside of a few exceptions, for which Rin met none of the criteria, the only women seen in most war camps were camp followers, who were forbidden under Lord Tokudaiji's command.
He was finally at the guest apartments again, standing on the engawa that separated the building from the earth. Rin's room was quiet.
Sesshōmaru reached for the shoji. Before his still-gloved hand could touch the door, it slid open of its own volition. Rin stood on the other side of the threshold, her dark hair slightly messy as always and her soft brown eyes fixed on him.
"You're awake," Sesshōmaru observed.
"I was waiting for you." Rin's voice was chipper despite the hour.
"Were you so sure I would come?"
Rin frowned. "You weren't thinking about leaving again without telling me, right?"
Avoiding that question, Sesshōmaru slipped past her and into the room. A small flame danced on the wick of a candle on the low table. Any signs of scuffle from earlier in the day had been tidied.
"Have you eaten?" Sesshōmaru asked, removing his gloves.
Rin shook her head. "I wasn't hungry."
He moved to remove the rest of his armor. Rin thought of how Seiten had assisted Lord Tōga with his armor.
"Do you need help, Lord Sesshōmaru?"
Sesshōmaru paused to look at her strangely. "No."
He saw Rin blush before she turned to look at the fusuma.
Once his armor was off and his cloak was neatly folded next to it, Sesshōmaru took a seat at the low table. Quietly, Rin moved to sit next to him.
"Here's your scent pouch," Rin said, sliding the cloth bag towards him.
Sesshōmaru took it in his grasp. It was still clean and smelled distinctly of aloeswood.
"Did you know?"
Sesshōmaru blinked at her. "Know?"
"That all this was going to happen," Rin explained.
"I did," Sesshōmaru said calmly.
"And Lord Tōga and Lady Tōran knew, too?"
"Yes."
Rin frowned. "How come no one told me?"
"You're upset?"
"There isn't much use in being mad now that it's all over," Rin answered. "But it would have been nice to know."
Sesshōmaru straightened some. He had thought of her when he had realized Taigokumaru's pending betrayal; however, she was the last person he thought of when he called the others to discuss plans.
"What would you have done?" He asked.
"Kept Shizu from accidentally burning down the stables, for one," Rin said sheepishly.
(So that's what happened, Sesshōmaru thought.)
"And," Rin continued, pulling her knees into her chest, "I could have volunteered to deliver that message. Then that man would not have…"
Her voice faltered slightly. His heart ached.
"Rin—"
"When you leave, I want to come too, Lord Sesshōmaru," Rin started. "I want to be a courier."
Sesshōmaru's eyes widened slightly. Rin continued to stare at him, her expression determined.
The young Lord scowled. "Did Tōran plant this idea in your head?"
"No!" Rin pursed her lips, offended by this notion. "I want to help."
"Why?" Sesshōmaru demanded, his voice firm but not malicious.
Rin contemplated her next words. It seemed she would have to convince him.
"I know your unit is low on couriers," Rin said. "I know how to ride a horse, and I can navigate. I'd be of use."
He knew Rin rode well. He had watched her on their journeys, when she and her jaunty little golden horse would stray ahead of the rest of the group, or when he would trail behind. He knew how well she balanced in her saddle, the way her small hands held the reins of her horse properly slack, the way she would slightly squeeze her legs around the horse's middle to guide it over the forest trails and mountain paths. With Rin's navigation skills, he was less familiar. His father tested her rather sporadically, but she had never been assigned the task of leading the group anywhere. He doubted she had seen a map before. Still, her stunt today proved that she had somewhat of a talent for it, and since couriers were told where each unit was located, it would be an even easier task for her.
"Women can't—"
"I know," Rin said quickly. "But what if no one knew I was a woman?"
She lost him there. Sesshōmaru stood from the low table.
Rin stood as well and grasped Sesshōmaru's arm before he could move anywhere.
"Don't say such silly things," Sesshōmaru said, looking down into her eyes.
"It's not silly," Rin said. "It's been done before!"
"In myths," the young Lord stressed.
Rin pouted. "The myths must get it from somewhere, Lord Sesshōmaru."
"What do you plan to do? Cut your hair and pass as a man?"
"Not a man, but I think I might pass as a young boy."
Sesshōmaru stared long and hard at her round face and tried to imagine her mid-back length hair far shorter. To his more familiarized eye, she would only look like a pretty young woman with short hair. But to those who did not know her…
Sesshōmaru pushed that thought to the back of his mind.
"Give me a chance. At least until other couriers became available," Rin said.
"You hate being around so many men at once," Sesshōmaru pointed out. "The camp will have nothing but men at all times."
She swallowed, but kept her gaze firmly fixed on his.
"I know that. But…," Rin stopped to muster some courage again, "you'll be there, Lord Sesshōmaru. That's enough to make me feel safe."
This response was enough to shock all of Sesshōmaru's senses. He merely stared at her in response, his mind drifting to the beginning of the summer when they had first met each other in Yobetsu and he had barely cared for her well-being. He almost longed for that feeling of apathy. It was much easier on his resolve.
Rin, oblivious to how she had accomplished the feat of stunning the young Lord into silence, moved away from his arm to clasp her hands together.
"And I'll be sure to stay out of trouble this time. I promise."
Sesshōmaru huffed and enclosed his large hands over her smaller ones. He would hold her to that undertaking. Slowly, his eyes moved from her to scrutinize her petite physique.
"You will need new clothes, then, and armor," Sesshōmaru said.
Rin fought back a satisfied beam. War was a serious matter. She had to appear serious before him. Then she paused.
"Oh," Rin said. "What about Lord Tōga?"
"I won't assign you a route to his unit," Sesshōmaru spoke seriously. "Thus, he will not know unless you inform him yourself."
This saddened Rin some. But if Lord Tōga found out she was in the war camp, he would undoubtedly send her back to Shiraoi.
For the time being, she would have Sesshōmaru. Just Sesshōmaru.
"When do we leave?" Rin asked.
"As soon as the sun rises."
And it was thus.
a/n: Wow, I cannot remember the last time I wrote a chapter this long for this fic. Anyways, we are finally starting to get somewhere with Sesshōmaru and Rin's relationship, y'all. It's all uphill from here until it isn't!
As always, thanks for the lovely comments on the last chapter. Friendly reminder that I do post updates for new chapters on my Twitter page (I recently changed my username to INUN0TAISHO).
Until next time!